Thanks Jock, I appreciate your thoughtful response.

As you say, this website is not the world on the street. It is a forum for people who share a particular interest. I was most impressed as a visitor to the forum in the cordial, dignified and intelligent discussions to be read about in this forum. I have not joined any other forum like this in my life and I only joined this one because of the impressive level of 'collegiality' I saw. Opinions were varied, but differences were respected.

I appreciate you feel you were being helpful to the poster. I also saw sound advice in the heart of your post. Speaking only for myself, I also felt that your response implied that he ought not have shared his story, that somehow doing so was inappropriate. I feel exactly the opposite way. As I say, that is just how I felt and that is why I posted as I did. My apologies if I misinterpreted what you meant.


When you boil it all down, perhaps it is just that I welcome such stories and find them interesting, and perhaps you do not. That is completely OK of course, such differences of opinion should be welcomed and respected.


By the way, I completely accept your advice that Scots, in general, do not share such personal stories with the man on the street. I might add that Australians, in general, are similarly reserved in person. That is why a forum such as this can serve a very useful purpose in allowing people, in a relatively anonymous way, to share their stories. I hope that might continue.


All the best,


John